This is Pastor Appreciation Month. I will take my Pastor to lunch this week. It is a small, but meaningful gift. We will talk as we eat – about the church, about sports, about theology, about families, about common friends (and a few uncommon friends). Mostly, I will come away from the time together with…
I am old enough to remember when politicians campaigned on their record instead of campaigning against the record of their opponent. Repeatedly during this election, I have been forced to watch TV commercials from candidates on both sides, telling me why I should not vote for their opponents. There is a difference is recognizing the…
What a year this has been! In January I participated in the semi-annual meeting of America’s National Prayer Committee. No one packed a facemask for the meeting. In February, I conducted my Disciple All Nations. Inc, Board of Directors annual meeting with no concerns about social distancing. In March, I had a steroid procedure on…
I had major surgery last week. I am blessed with a lot of friends, and social media has kept us in contact, but never did I expect the response from long-time friends, as what I received. There were prayers offered and thoughts shared by new friends of only a few months, but friends that I…
I haven’t been sleeping well lately. I wake up in the night and am unable to get back to sleep. I’m sure it is partly due to the physical, since I am facing major surgery in the next few days. I am also sure it is partly spiritual, since this was happening, to a lesser…
I was busy enjoying my meal in a local restaurant, when I was distracted. A family of four, seated nearby me, caught my attention. Mom and Dad were not having one of their best days, plus the two small children were expressing their unhappiness in rather loud volume. The family anger seemed to escalate as…
I learned a new word last week. When I received my pathology results on my medical portal, it stated that the polyps removed from my colon, via colonoscopy, were “adenomatous.” Just before my pulse began to race, I read the next line of the results – “by definition, premalignant.” My first thought was that all…
There was a second page turned down in the green back Broadman Hymnal of my youth. While the first page that was turned down, was the hymn “Ready” which greatly influenced my call to ministry, the second page turned down was for a hymn that equally influenced my life. It was also a favorite of…
While moving my office recently, I came to the music bookshelves – hymnals and song books, collected over the years. There it was – the green-back Broadman Hymnal, and the inscription on the front cover – “West End Baptist Church, Houston, Texas.” Significance? Not only was my father the pastor of this church, but this…
Recently I had coffee with a long-time friend, an accomplished and highly sought-after soloist, with whom I taught on the Southwestern Baptist Seminary faculty. I used to sit next to him during Seminary graduations and convocations and wish I could preach as good as he could sing. Last week I sat next to a good…